Kuppa Roastery and Cafe arrives in Manila

I first got to try Kuppa last year during my trip to Bacolod last year and I really enjoyed my quick taste. The family that owns Kuppa has finally found a place to expand in Manila, right in the heart of the Fort Bonifacio Global City. I got a chance to try out some of their food, which was a lot more varied and plentiful than I expected. Kuppa is owned by the Lo family, they boast of over 60 years in the coffee roasting business before they finally decided to open their own coffee shop in 2006 in a lot which was the site of their old  house.

The space they occupy is in the same building as Relik with ample parking both within and across the street. They overlook a nice little garden and together with the high ceilings gives off a relaxing ambiance.

The first thing you will notice upon entering the place is the ProBat micro roaster, similar to their store in Bacolod. I even go to witness a live demonstration of the whole roasting process. This micro roaster can roast up to 5 kilos at a time, which they do depending on the demand to keep the beans fresh.

Remembered I mentioned that they have a lot of food, more so than the usual coffee shop. Here are the ones I got to sample, and there was a lot of them.

Prosciutto and Pumpkin (P265). A ciabatta filled with prosciutto ham, honey roasted pumpkin and pesto. A nice mix of salty and sweet flavors, I especially loved the roasted pumpkin slices.

Insalata Kuppa (P240). A salad with arugula, blue cheese and balsamic dressing. There’s a bit of surprise with the hidden grapes and walnuts giving their own sweet and nutty flavors to complement the generous amount of blue cheese.

We next had some pizza, not some run of the mill, reheated pizza but hand made and freshly cooked ones. They have a no rolling pin policy so it takes a bit longer to make their pizza but it’s definitely worth the wait.

Margherita Pizza (P280). The simplest and yet most popular pizza in the world. Tomato sauce, cheese and fresh basil on chewy and flavorful dough.

Crisitna (P360). Their signature pizza and named after the chefs wife is a pizza with uncommon ingredients figs and grapes. The taste profile is more on the sweet side so its perfect for my taste buds.

Who would have guessed you would find wonderful pizza at a coffee shop of all places.

Fruitti di Mare Pasta (P240). Seafood pasta in tomato, oil or cream sauces. I got to try the oil and cream and both tasted great. Generous amount of al dente pasta and fresh seafood is something I’d definitely order again. The only problem is what sauce base to choose…

Salmon with Cream Sauce. To say the salmon was cooked perfectly was an understatement. Slightly undercooked to preserve all the juices as well as make sure the salmon meat is both tender and flaky. I liked the creamy spinach sauce on the side too.

Salpicao (P395). Beef tenderloin cubes cooked in extra virgin olive oil and garlic with nary a drop of Worcestershire sauce in sight. Simple and pure ingredients allow all of them to shine. This is the best salpicao I’ve ever had.

The surprises at Kuppa does not stop, with Crispy Pata (P580) making an appearance. What makes this special is the sauce, a traditional dipping sauce, a real liver sauce (Mang Tomas is NOT real liver sauce) and apple chutney. I mixed the chutney and liver sauce together for a sweet and rich sauce which gave the crunchy skin and tender meat a new unique taste.

Lamb Caldereta (P320). Their take on the classic Spanish dish. The tomato stew makes a perfect companion for rice. The lamb pieces were very tender and devoid of the gaminess other people dislike.

We got to try a number of their drinks, from coffee to tea and things in between.  My favorite single origin coffee was the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe which was fragrant and had hints of citrus. For the teas, I liked the Gyokuro (P140), touted as Japan’s finest tea that is only harvested in the shade and the Jasmine Dragon Pearl (P95), teas rolled into little balls with flowery Jasmine fragrance.

For dessert we had Apple Tart (P115), a nice little creation of apple slices dusted with confectioner’s sugar. A bit tarty with hints of sweetness to complement the still crisp apple.

Matt’s Chocolate Cake (P130). Hands down the best dessert served in Kuppa. Takes 20 minutes to make, so better order this early. At first glance. it just looks like a dark colored mound but once you slice it open, the soft chocolate oozes out.  The dessert was surprisingly not sweet yet had a My favorite were the crisp corners.

Strawberry Kiss (P130). Light cream with fluffy chiffon, accented with strawberry slices. I of course could not resist anything strawberry, this one hits the spot.

Kuppa Roastery and Cafe not only serves freshly roasted coffee but also high quality food that will make you come back for more be it for meals, dessert or just a cup of Kuppa to get your day going.

Kuppa Roastery and Cafe

G/F Commerce Center Building
31st St and 4th Ave.

552-1057

Kuppa Roastery and Cafe on Facebook

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